The Giant Wheel

What it’s like

A ride on an observation wheel lit up with over 20,000 colour-changing LED lights.

Up you go on the big wheel, gondola swaying a bit as you climb, and once you're near the top you get a proper look over the city. The site makes a point of the lighting: more than 20,000 energy-saving LEDs that change colour, so it's worth timing a ride for early evening rather than the middle of a bright afternoon when you'd miss the effect.

It's £6 a person, with a cheaper £3 rate for anyone under 1.2 metres tall, so a family ticket adds up faster than you'd think if everyone's over that height marker. There's no booking system and nothing that says you need to reserve a slot. Card only on the amenities list, so don't rely on having change in your pocket.

There isn't much else to the visit beyond the ride itself, which suits a quick stop rather than a whole afternoon. It works well slotted in around other plans in the city, a twenty-minute detour rather than a destination in its own right. Any age is fine, from babies in arms up to grown-ups, since the under 1.2m price band is really just about the ticket cost rather than any restriction on who can ride.

Facilities

Need to know

Best for

Any age, from babies up, a quick ride rather than a long visit

• Go at dusk if you can, that's when the 20,000 LED lights actually show off
• Card payments only, no cash
• No booking needed, it's a walk-up ride
• The under 1.2m ticket is a price band, not an age restriction

Plan your visit

Featured in 2 Huddlepin lists

See all Observatories & Planetariums in Cardiff · Things to do in Cardiff